


It Could Happen Here

by nachaelsquared



Category: Pet Shop Boys
Genre: Angst, Clubbing, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Meet-Cute, Recreational Drug Use
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:54:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28002729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nachaelsquared/pseuds/nachaelsquared
Summary: My own take on how the Pet Shops Boys met mixed with a classic friend's to lovers story with a bit of angst thrown in there.
Relationships: Chris Lowe/Neil Tennant
Comments: 14
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rac06h10ael](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rac06h10ael/gifts).



> First things first, I know it's been forever since I posted/updated anything on here. Don't worry, I still love Queen and hopefully soon I'll get back to those works.
> 
> For the sake of brevity, I'll just say my life pretty much fell apart this year and I'm still a mess. But lately the Pet Shop Boys are my favorite coping mechanism and nobody can convince me they're just best friends...so here we are.
> 
> I don't expect many people to read this but if anyone wants to stick around and read I'd appreciate it :)

Maybe it was the obviously oversized jacket slumped on his shoulders that did little to hide his form in the practically vacant store. 

It could’ve been the fact that he seemed to actually know what he was doing as he surveyed the displays of synthesizers unlike the other young adults lingering about in the store to avoid the humid air that awaited them outside.

Or  perhaps , Neil thought, it was the skittish way both of them flickered up their eyes just for a second to make sure the other intriguing stranger was still doing the same back. The real reason didn’t matter to the hopelessly enthusiastic musician because although he’d briefly met and passed a countless amount of faces in his relatively short lifetime, nobody had ever caught his attention so easily without even saying a word. 

He didn’t consider himself shy, since such a quality didn’t produce fruitful results in his current line of work in publishing or his desperately aspired career of dominating the music industry, which made it awfully strange that his mind couldn’t seem to convince his legs to move any closer to the other man. They weren’t very far apart to begin with, separated by only a row of keyboards that Neil had positioned himself at despite having no extra cash to purchase one.

“I wouldn’t go for the Poly-61,” Neil found himself blurting out as their eyes met yet again, feeling his cheeks heat up as the other man’s cold gaze locked onto his. “I-I mean, sure it’s got no knobs to deal with...but is that really a good thing?”

The way his voice tuned up in pitch at the end of his sentence to make it a question had Neil debating whether making a run for it would feel better than waiting for the awkward tension between them to dissipate, trying not to fidget as the stranger contemplated his words. Before he had the chance to start rambling an apology for his apparent intrusion, the younger looking man softened his features while slightly cocking his head to the side and quietly spoke.

“You know about synthesizers?”

His voice was so timid that Neil wasn’t sure he had even heard him properly, nervously gulping and wondering how neither of them had broken their eye contact yet. 

“I’d like to think so,” Neil said with a quick smile and relieved breath, wishing he’d stayed quiet when the stranger continued to show practically no emotions. “I’ve heard the Minimoog is spectacular, though, and you probably won’t find it anywhere except here. Only of the kind to include a pitch wheel as well.”

Another bout of silence that seemed to last hours had Neil ready to turn on his heel, but something about their odd interaction made him certain he’d regret booking it without at least trying to salvage his newfound awkwardness. “M-my name’s Neil by the way.”

“Chris,” The younger man finally responded, extending his hand out for a cordial greeting as if their strange conversation had never happened. Neil felt relieved to see the face that now had a name attached to it smile as their hands briefly clasped together, mimicking the expression and praying the flush on his cheeks wasn’t too noticeable. “Sorry, I’ve just never met someone my age that really cared about electronics or synths before.”

“I understand,” Neil replied, taking the comparison as a compliment after coming to the conclusion that he certainly had a few years on the other man. “I’ve never seen you around here before, first time visiting?”

“Ah, just in the neighborhood while trying to get some experience for my degree,” Chris explained, not so conspicuously scanning his eyes over Neil’s lanky form before initiating another bout of now less suspicious eye contact. “Figured I’d put some of my extra pounds towards a good synth...guess you saved me from a financial blunder.”

“Gotta look out for any fellow synth lovers.”

Neil regretted the words as they tumbled from his mouth, internally cringing and cursing himself for acting so strangely awkward but figuring he’d said something right when another smile tugged at Chris’ typically inexpressive features. 

“Any good clubs around here?” Chris mumbled, briefly glancing towards the window to notice the sun had completely set on the day to give way to the boisterous nightlife that consumed the streets. 

“The Wag is known for its variety...usually pretty busy, though,” Neil responded, trying not to show any confusion on his face. He knew it wasn’t fair to pass judgement on someone he knew so little about, but based on appearances he wouldn’t have guessed the student was one to take to the clubbing lifestyle - although, he pondered, what else did a young man in West London have to do on a Saturday night?

“Do they play any decent dance music? I’m not a fan of rock.”

“I’ve heard they switch it up, you’ll have to take a chance,” Neil answered with a fresh wave of confidence, hoping Chris didn’t interpret it as arrogance. Instead, the ever surprising stranger pulled the rug out from under him to diminish any of the suaveness Neil could’ve built up in their short conversation.

“Got any plans tonight?”

The blush on Neil’s cheeks returned with full force, his mouth opening and closing more times than he cared to admit as he thought of an answer. He truthfully didn’t have anything to do except go home and find some old-fashioned way to entertain himself unless one of his friends invited him out. But now that this conversation had seemed to take an odd turn, at least to Neil who could practically feel some type of tension between them, he couldn’t really be sure if he was just overthinking the few simple words or that Chris had some sort of socially frowned upon ulterior motive in essentially asking him to join him in a night of clubbing.

“I suppose I’ll take that as a-”

“No,” Neil quickly interjected, focusing back on Chris’ face knowing the redness sitting high on his cheeks and long period of silence before answering would have completely given him away if anyone was paying attention. “I haven’t got any plans. But I’m not the biggest club goer if I’m being honest.”

“Shame,” Chris sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets and adjusting the cap on his head in an attempt to shield his eyes. “Well, I should be on my way but...it’d be nice to see you again tonight.”

With that, the mysterious synth player gave a final nod to his new acquaintance before leisurely strolling towards the store’s exit now free of the lingering crowd previously surrounding it. He glanced one more time over his shoulder before leaving, doing nothing to hide the sly smirk on his face at the way Neil’s eyes were already looking back at him preceding his disappearance into the bustling streets.

Neil let out a huff of disbelief as he stared at the piano in front of him, replaying their conversation is his mind and questioning if he was really considering disrupting his typical plans to get another chance to chip away at who Chris really was. There was really no point in denying how much the other man had an effect on him, even if Neil couldn’t explain it yet - there just seemed to be something in the way he made his generally composed and confident personality fall apart so quickly. He wasn’t ready to delve into what exactly that effect was, shaking his head to clear his thoughts and hanging his head in shame to see the woman behind the register giving him a disapproving look for loitering around so long. 

He still hadn’t made up his mind as he finally willed his feet to move, shuffling towards the rack of magazines and absentmindedly picking one out to purchase as some sort of apology to the slightly irritated cashier. The thick air was practically oppressive on top of his light jacket when Neil stepped outside, rolling the magazine up to stick in his pocket and sluggishly stepping down the road as he contemplated his choices.

_ Sure, I could blow the vague invitation off and never see him again...think of this in the years to come as a strange fleeting memory of some stranger who happened to be perusing synthesizers in the same music shop as me. It’s not like he probably actually cares to see me again, surely that just something people say to be cordial, right? Was he trying to chat me up when asking if I had plans? No, no...I ask friends if they have plans all the time. _

“Oi! Watch where you’re walking, poofter!”

Neil hardly had time to look up and catch a glimpse at the insulter who bumped shoulders with him, sighing at the rude behavior and continuing to move down along the street. He wasn’t too upset about the bluntness of the insult, but it did make him self-conscious of his current outfit choice; most of his outfits were pretty tame as he aired on the side of caution when it came to others making note of his sexuality, although tonight he had to admit his trousers were certainly tighter than needed to be. All of that at the moment, however, seemed secondary to the decision he needed to make soon.

_ I’m really not a club person, but it’s not like I’ve never been...and I’m sure it’d be fine as long as he was there as well. What if he doesn’t show? How could I ever get over the embarrassment of falling into some sick trap of his and get all excited over nothing? Well, I suppose nobody else would know unless I told them so I could suck it up and get over it on my own. But what if he does show? I could hardly control my incriminating blush when fumbling over my words and seeing his pitiful smiles at my expense, how am I supposed to hang out in a club with him? What are we going to talk about? God, he’s gonna find out I’m already nearing thirty and regret ever responding to me in the shop in the first place. _

Before he knew it, Neil was only a few buildings down from the overflowing club, the line of people stretched down to the other end of the block waiting to get their own taste of what such places had become popular for. He sucked in a nervous breath as his eyes scanned the crowd, pretending he hoped Chris had decided to cancel his spur of the moment invitation and almost slumping his shoulders in disappointment when he saw no familiar faces. As if by magic, that sorrowful stature caught his eye and within seconds of Neil spotting Chris, their gazes connected again to knock the wind out of the older man.

It was hard to tell if Chris really was glad to see him or not, but Neil had already begun to figure out that it would be no easy feat to determine how the other man was feeling without flat out asking. He took it as a good sign when Chris tilted his head up to signal Neil to come join him in the line, and the older man silently mused over his impressive spot pretty close to the door.

Neil tried to play down the way his heart thumping in his chest tempted him to practically run over to greet Chris, shoving his hands in his pockets and strolling as casually as possible towards the ever-growing queue. 

“Mister uptight decided to actually show up,” Chris mumbled with a half-smile as he watched Neil duck under the thin rope to stand next to him.

“I’m not uptight!” Neil defended with a small laugh, trying not to get too excited to see Chris mimic his reaction. “I just happen to rarely have free time to spend clubbing with strangers.”

“Strangers?” Chris repeated with a mocking tone, stuffing his own hands in his trouser pockets as the pair shuffled up line to keep the people behind them from complaining about the gap. “Come on, we’re already on a first name basis. You’re probably the only person I could say I know here.”

“Well then you need to get out more,” Neil answered, suppressing the wide smile that tugged at his lips when he got to hear Chris laugh for the first time. 

“What’s this?” Chris questioned as he plucked the rolled up magazine from Neil’s pocket, apparently forgetting boundaries existed between two people who had met less than an hour ago and making the older man blush again. “ [ Smash Hits ](https://www.crazyaboutmagazines.com/ourshop/prod_664921-Smash-Hits-magazine-Debbie-Harry-cover-619-August-1981.html) ? You read rubbish like this?”

“I wouldn’t call it rubbish...you’re just upset there’s a rock artist on the front.”

“Ah, nobody’s ever figured me out so quickly before,” Chris drawled, his tone of voice too ambiguous for Neil to decipher what weight his statement was supposed to have; not that his facial expression gave away much either, his jaw set as he stared ahead at the small group of people set to go inside before them. 

“I doubt I’ve anything about you figured out yet,” Neil replied just as vaguely, copying Chris’ stature and using all of his willpower not to turn his head when he saw the younger man out of the corner of his eye shift to most likely give him a curious look.

Their silence was made up for by the loud music that filled their ears as they stepped into the club after flashing their IDs to the bouncer, the practically blinding lights combined with it making Neil regret staying in all those nights his friends had begged him to come out with them. The temperature was almost no different from the leftover warmth from the day outside and Neil was rather grateful his jacket could serve to cover up the inevitable sweat stains to come. 

“I’ll get us some drinks,” Chris shouted as he leant towards Neil to barely be heard over the thumping bass that reverberated through the floor. “Care to find us a table?”

Before Neil had time to respond, Chris had already slipped away into the sea of people lining every open space of the club and he took a little time to watch the dancefloor. He truly had an affinity for electronic music and longed more than anything to produce it himself, but for now and in his past he enjoyed the thrill of dancing however you pleased while surrounded by bunches of people you had no connection with. It had been a while since he’d been part of the scene, deciding to focus on his work and letting his time off be taken up by his amatuer song writing. 

He slithered through throngs of people until he finally found an unoccupied table, pushing the garbage left behind to the side and leaning his elbows against the thankfully cool surface. He let his eyes focus on the dancefloor again, daydreaming about his memories of being a young student and imagining his own songs being played over the speakers one day. Neil hardly registered the other man reappear in front of him on the other side of the small round table, the beer bottle hitting his arm breaking him from his light trance and demanding his attention be back on Chris.

“So, do you go to school as well?” Chris tried to shout over the music, taking his cap off and setting it on the table between them.

Neil hardly heard him talk, furrowing his brows in confusion of what he thought he heard. “Oh, uh...no, I don’t consider myself cool, I guess.”

Chris gave him an even more confused look, taking a sip from the bottle in his hand before responding. “How could your jacket be made of wool? It’s a windbreaker, mate.”

“I don’t think we’re hearing each other correctly!” Neil shouted, while leaning into the table to make sure at least one of his sentences could be interpreted. 

“No, I don’t think so!” Chris yelled back with another laugh that was completely lost in the clamour of the room around them but made Neil smile nonetheless. 

Neil watched with widened eyes as the other man walked around the table to stand hip-to-hip with him, nervously bringing the bottle to his lips to refrain from making any stupid comments about their new close proximity. If he was confused earlier in the night about this mysterious stranger, absolutely nothing made sense now; there was either a deeper meaning to Chris’ reckless and brash actions or Neil had lost a plot in the last few months and he was simply overreacting to the friendliness that came along with meeting someone new. He didn’t have much time to stew on it, though, raising his eyebrows as he watched Chris pull a small baggie from his pocket. 

“Well now that we’re closer, want any X?”

Neil stuttered on an answer, unsure if accepting drugs from someone he’d met in a music shop that flipped his composure on its head so easily was the smartest idea. 

“You don’t have to say yes,” Chris added, setting one of the pills on his tongue and winking at Neil. “Just an offer.”

“Sure,” Neil blurted out before thinking too long on an answer, mocking Chris’ behavior by winking when the other man gave him a pointed look. “I’m not quite the teetotaler you probably think I am.”

Chris only hummed in response, dropping one of the pills in Neil’s hand and shifting impossibly closer to the older man so that their sides were practically plastered together. Neil swallowed the pill with a swig of beer, grimacing at the taste and narrowing his eyes at Chris when he heard a quiet snicker next to his ear. Despite how composed he tried to look, it was obvious to both of them that Neil was certainly out of practice with all of the aspects that accompanied nights like this, and Chris certainly took delight in silently teasing him about it. 

“Do you get in your head a lot?” Chris suddenly asked, leaning in so close that his lips nearly brushed the shell of Neil’s ear.

“I-I suppose so,” Neil answered, turning his head before Chris had a chance to move. The closeness of their faces made Neil’s heart stop for a second despite his efforts to push down the true reasoning behind his curiosity towards the younger man, and neither of them bothered to move while the crowds continued to shift around them. “Why do you ask?”

“I can see it in your face when you do it. When you were walking down the street, when I came over here with the drinks...it’s like your mind went somewhere else.”

“Oh,” Neil answered, turning away out of embarrassment at the apparent obviousness of his actions and taking another already lukewarm sip from the amber bottle clutched in his hand. 

“I didn’t mean to offend,” Chris corrected, looking down at the table himself and fidgeting with his hands. “I thought it was interesting...made me wonder what you were thinkin’ about.”

“It’s gonna take more than an hour knowing me to be privy to that information,” Neil slyly responded, smiling at Chris’s responding raised eyebrows.

“Guess that’s fair enough. How about an easier question, wanna dance?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the insane amount of italics in this chapter but they were necessary! 
> 
> And yes, I made their friend from the pet shop my own character and the link on his name will take you to the person's Wikipedia page I based him on :)

As a faint shiver ran through his body at the noisy air flowing in from the cracked open window, Neil had never felt more grateful for the faint rays of morning sunlight peeking through the sheer curtains - until he remembered that the sun rose in the opposite direction from his bedroom.

His mind and body were both too groggy to jump up with a start at the realisation, but the idea was enough to make him blink open his eyes despite the faint headache plaguing his movement. A wave of relief crashed over him to find his own cramped living room in his field of vision, shifting to sit up on the less than comfortable sofa purchased for a few pounds after his mother complained his flat didn’t have any personality and grabbing his windbreaker worn the night before to use as a makeshift blanket. 

He tried to remember what had happened with his new acquaintance after being led to the dancefloor, rubbing his eyes and sighing into the chilled silence of the room at his slight recklessness. The mix of ecstasy and alcohol hadn’t had the kindest reaction on his out of practice digestive system, blushing at the sudden memory of being pulled off of the club’s bathroom floor by an oddly overprotective Chris who hadn’t let the embarrassment of his unpleasant retching go unshared.

Another gust of wind brought his attention to the coffee table, squinting at the fluttering napkin trapped underneath a still glass of water. Neil leaned forward at much too quickly a pace, closing his eyes for a few seconds to reorient himself before noticing the sparse, scribbled words standing out in contrast to their bright background. 

_ neil, _

_ didn’t think you’d be quite the party animal _

_ or that I’d have to literally carry you  _

_ home. take care. _

_ until we meet again. _

_ -chris x _

The note made Neil’s heart feel as if it dropped to his stomach, worried about what behaviour he had exhibited to warrant such a curt explanation but no longer denying the excitement it brought him to think of seeing the younger man a second time. The night must’ve gone okay enough, he mused, considering Chris hadn’t left him a mess in the middle of the club and had the decency to drag him home. His keys and wallet sitting neatly beside the glass made him assume his inconsistent rambling that often occurred during any type of intoxication gave away his address if not the ID card stuck in his pocket - now looking back, two things he should’ve been much more careful about before getting wasted with a practical stranger. 

He didn’t have time to mull over the underlying stupidity of his previous choices, or even the potentially telling single letter penned after Chris’ signature, thanks to the shrill ringing of the telephone taking up most of the space on his weathered end table. He slumped back into the couch with a few slow blinks in an attempt to wake himself up before reaching for the phone, immediately pulling it back from his ear to hear his agitated friend’s voice at a decent volume.

_ “Neil! Where the bloody hell are you? You said you’d keep me company at the pet shop this morning!” _

“You know, your point would come off just the same without the dramatics,  [ Nelson ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Nelson_Reilly) .”

_ “I’m allowed to be upset,”  _ The now much calmer voice replied. _ “You know there’s absolutely  _ nothing _ to do here on a Sunday morning except get yelled at by the boss for not shooing away the children loitering around just to look at the puppies.” _

“It’s not even that late,” Neil defended without bothering to actually check the time. “I can be there in a few, I’ve got quite the story to tell you.”

_ “I’ll be dying from anticipation, but you might wanna look at a clock...I wouldn’t call almost noon early.” _

“Why didn’t you call me earlier?” Neil exclaimed as he stood from the couch, taking a second to balance himself once again thanks to the after-effects of his unusual Saturday night. He surveyed his disheveled hair in the dark reflection of the television from across the room as Nelson scoffed at his question, pulling the phone away again in anticipation of the next loud reaction.

_ “Oh, my apologies! I forgot I was Mister Neil Tennant’s personal alarm clock! Well for your information my other friend actually showed up to keep me company.” _

“Ouch, I’m being replaced?” Neil joked, smiling at the laugh on the other end of the line.

_ “Never. I figured maybe you were having a hard time ushering out someone who caused your excitement last night so I let you be...but now I’m dying over here.” _

“You know that’s not my style.”

_ “A friend can hope, can he not?” _

“I can handle those things just fine by myself, now are you gonna let me go so I can get on the move?”

_ “I suppose,”  _ Nelson drew out with a sigh, _ “but only because I’ll certainly get yelled at again for using the ‘company phone’ for personal uses.” _

With that, Neil composed himself with as much speed as the lingering effects of the pills and alcohol allowed by plucking a fresh outfit from his wardrobe that certainly wasn’t the peak of fashion but passed as a decent ensemble. He made sure to take Chris’ note and carefully tuck it into the crumpled magazine purchased the night before that now sat atop an existing pile of other issues on his coffee table, hiding the physical evidence of his blooming interest in the other man from anyone who might stop by along from his own imagination.

The sun felt entirely too bright as he set on his way to the pet shop, a place where many of his friends, close and not, gathered thanks to Nelson’s gravitating enthusiasm and need to socialise. It had been a while since Neil had wasted away the mornings as he had today, content to be absorbed into the work week drawls of capitalism and a full-time job that left him wanting nothing more than to rest on the weekends now that he was approaching his thirties. But like his friend had mentioned, the lifestyle didn’t lend itself to many opportunities for connections, especially ones of the romantic kind. He preferred to convince himself it didn’t matter too much anyways, the potential risks of being ridiculed by those who didn’t agree with his attraction seeming too daunting compared to the manmade concept of finding the perfect person to share your life with. 

Neil decided to occupy himself with the scraps of lyrics stuffed into his pockets as he took the short bus ride to Ealing, trying to sneakily look around and make sure nobody was watching before unfolding the crumpled pieces of paper. He flipped through the unfinished smatterings of words that came to him at random times, cringing at quite a few and making a note to slip them in his other pocket to discard them forever until one in particular caught his eye.

_ That boy never cast a look in your direction _

_ Never tried to hook for your affection _

The reasoning behind the lyrics was long lost on him, but he smiled at his own dramatics nonetheless and turned it over to pen something more optimistic on his mind. 

_ This anticipation is a stimulation _

_ Put your arms around me, it doesn’t mean you love me _

He figured it was vague enough to explain his way out of if anybody asked, although it seemed after their few conversations Chris would probably be able to see right through him.

Time seemed to fly by quicker than usual because before Neil could rack his brain for any more inspiration than a couple of words, his stop had approached and he had to pull himself from a daydream about breaking the monotonous cycle of his life with a successful career in music. The small crowds of people roaming the streets and window shopping in the calm afternoon only served to bring him back to reality quicker, remembering how he would have to be home early to get enough sleep for his early alarm tomorrow. 

It was a breath of fresh air to see Nelson perk up when he walked into the shop and made the bell above the door jingle, trying not to laugh when the boss sat in the corner cleared his throat as a sort of warning. Their weekly meetings were obviously a nuisance to the grumpy old man, but Nelson was quick to come to their defenses by having Neil purchase whatever knick-knack was sitting on the corner and avoid any accusations of loitering. 

“Neil!” The other man exclaimed while snapping the magazine sat in front of him shut and leaning forward against the counter on his elbows. “Finally you’re here, I can’t wait to tell you this story.”

“Is it crazier than anything you’ve done yourself?” Neil asked with a smirk, resting one of his own arms against the same counter. 

“That would be quite impossible. How about your story?”

“Well you seem much more gear to get it out of your system,” Neil smiled, watching his friend anxiously tap his fingers against the thick glass. “And as they always say, ladies first.”

“I will take your jest as a compliment,” Nelson huffed with fake offense, rolling his eyes as his boss let out another not so subtle cough and lowering his voice before continuing. “Anyways, my one friend was at a club last night - not something _ you’d  _ know about.”

“Well now we’re even with the insults, just get on with the story.”

“You started it, but I digress,” Nelson continued with a defensive purse of his lips. “He’s there with some other bloke he met down the street, nothing new for him, but he was beyond excited since apparently they both knew about synthesizers. Of all things to connect over, he loses it over someone that cares about _ synthesizers.”  _

Neil felt his heart speed up only a few sentences in, shifting on his feet while trying not to give away the apparent obviousness of his thinking recently pointed out to him.

_ Wait...it can’t be. I’m probably overthinking it and it’s a weird coincidence, just let him finish.  _

“...they’re on the dancefloor and some woman comes up to try and steal a dance with the guy he’s with. She’s so persistent and…”

_ Oh shit, I remember it all now.  _

“...now they’re in the toilets and this poor man can’t hold anything down anymore. Luckily nobody was shagging in there or lined up to snort lines of whatever is cheap and available nowadays…”

_ I made a complete fool of myself last night, Chris will never want to see my face ever again. But he did leave that note after dragging me home. Maybe he was just trying to be nice...letting me down gently with some fine memories before avoiding me for the rest of his days. _

“...back to the dancefloor and he must’ve been pulling out the right moves because now it’s guys and gals shifting by for a chance to steal him away. My friend certainly isn’t the jealous type, he doesn’t even show the people he cares about any affection, the stubborn bastard, but all this attention on his new acquaintance…”

_ This can’t be about me, I’m certainly no prize to be fought over in a sea of younger and more attractive people. But now thinking of it, Chris did move us around a lot while dancing...this has to be some horrible, long nightmare. _

“...enthusiastic despite being completely pissed, until he convinces him that it would be best for them to call it a night. Other bloke can barely hold himself up but he supposedly is much less shy and awkward at this point, so he lets him ramble on about…”

_ No, no, no, what on earth did I say to him? It could’ve been anything and who knows what my plastered brain came up with to mention? He’s definitely avoiding me forever...I messed up something I didn’t even know I had. _

“...ends up leaving him on his couch without inviting himself to stay since, you know, they’d only known each other a couple hours and half of that time the other man wasn’t fully there. Good Lord, why are your cheeks so red?”

Neil buried his head in his hands at the incriminating question, sighing into the silence between them and mumbling quieter than he ever had before. “Does your friend’s name happen to be Chris?”

“Yeah, how did you…”

“I’m the other bloke in his story,” Neil answered while slowly lifting his head again, furrowing his brows in confusion at Nelson’s evil smile he failed to conceal. “What’re you looking at me like that for?”

“I should’ve put the pieces together sooner,” Nelson said in disappointment, continuing to smile when Neil lightly shoved his arm. “Although you’re the last person I’d expect to have a night like that.”

“He probably thinks I’m a complete dolt.”

“I must be frank...you know I’m an expert at embellishing stories. All that craziness left quite the good impression on Chris, and that doesn’t happen often.”

“What are you trying to say?” Neil asked skeptically, not trying to get his hopes up with the vague explanation.

“Well I’m not a mind reader, but he was practically _ drooling  _ talking about meeting you last night. And based on your reaction I’d have to assume you feel a similar way,” Nelson continued, quirking his eyebrows and lacing his fingers together as if he were the evil mastermind orchestrating all of this.

“Is he even…,” Neil trailed off, sure his friend would get the hint about what he was hesitant to mention in such a public setting.

“I’ve seen him around with many people of all types, so I wouldn’t give a complete no on that. Just be careful, he carries around quite the reputation for breaking hearts and I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“I’m a grown man, I know how to protect myself,” Neil lied straight through his teeth by ignoring the suppressed giddiness he felt to know Chris didn’t actually hate him after their strange first meeting. 

“Sure,” Nelson drew out the word with skepticism, flashing Neil a quick smile at his annoyed expression. “Now, I’m still dying to hear your side of the story.”

“Do I have to?” Neil pouted, embarrassed to feel the blush sitting high on his cheeks heat up again.

“Absolutely! How else could I play matchmaker for you two?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you'd like a better picture of Nelson in your mind, here's a great video of the man he's based off of on Match Game because I'm legit going insane :)
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77IIyemAmE8


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year everyone! I know it's cheesy but we could all use a little hope, so here's to a better year for everyone.
> 
> This chapter is a lot of dialogue, which isn't my strong suit, so bear with me and some light fluff before the plot gets moving.
> 
> Please enjoy! :)

Neil found it hard to contain the excitement that thrummed through veins with every step he took along the quiet sidewalk, letting his mind bounce between his renewed memories from the night before and the new addition about Chris’ own perspective about the same events. He knew better than to ignore everything Nelson had mentioned, wondering how such a seemingly reserved young man could have already built such a heartbreaker reputation, but it felt much better to indulge in the fact that the same man had taken an apparently unusual liking to him. It was still lost on him what exactly he spilled to Chris in his beyond hazy state but it must’ve been tame enough not to scare him off.

The slowly setting sun that lit up the sky well into the evening in the later months of summer urged him to get home before it got too late, catching another short bus ride back to the streets he knew like the back of his hand. The humid air had laid off a little compared to its usual oppression and Neil took the time to walk around the neighbor, pulling his walkman and slightly smushed headphones from the pockets he obviously hadn’t cleaned out in a while to listen to whatever tape he had shoved in there last. He was uncharacteristically friendly to the familiar faces he passed by, only grinning wider to see the slight shock from his neighbors at the sudden shift from his usual cordial yet blaringly quiet demeanour. 

He stopped dead in his tracks when he stood a few buildings down the road from his own, heart speeding up at the figure facing away from him leant against the fence and draped in an all too recognizable oversized coat despite the lingering high temperatures. Neil nervously swallowed as he shifted his headphones to rest around his next and took small, timid steps down the pavement with the confidence that he’d have none once he opened his mouth. The knowledge of Chris’ positive first impression did nothing to calm his nerves this time, taking one last deep breath before walking past the younger man and quickly turning to face him.

“Fate brings us together again,” Chris started with a wide grin that made it impossible for Neil not to imitate it back.

“Sure, if you wanna call standing outside my flat fate,” Neil answered with a little bit of snark. His comment was intended to be light-hearted, but he worried he had been too mean when Chris ducked his head with a small laugh. 

“Can’t blame a man for needing an excuse,” The younger of the two mumbled, catching Neil off guard when he looked up again to reveal a faint blush on his cheeks that had never appeared in their night together. 

“An excuse for what?” Neil asked back, subconsciously looking for confirmation of what he already knew.

“To see you again.”

Neil wasn’t sure how to properly respond, stopping himself just short of blurting out his secret desire to spend every minute he could with Chris even if only to learn everything about why he was so intriguing. There was a soft glint to Chris’ eyes that showed some sliver of vulnerability that had been well-hidden in the darkness of the club before that complimented the faint redness on his cheeks, sending Neil deeper into confusion about his feelings. The moment didn’t last long before Chris looked down again and the other remembered he actually had to say something, clearing his throat in a vain attempt to hide his own embarrassment.

“I-I’m glad you’re here...would you like to come in?” Neil said in one breath, feeling weak in the knees to watch Chris timidly nod as if answering yes wasn’t the correct decision. “I can give you a proper introduction to my living room this time.”

“I didn’t think it was too bad from what I saw in the dark at half past three,” Chris joked back as he followed the older man up the steps, slipping his slightly jittery hands into his coat pockets before the latter could notice. “I was rather impressed by your comics collection, even though you didn’t seem quite as interested considering you fell asleep in the middle of explaining one.”

“Bloody hell,” Neil whispered mainly to himself but still loud enough for his guest to hear as he unlocked the door. “I apologize for literally anything I said after we got on the dance floor, I have no idea where my head was at.”

“‘S okay, I still had a good time,” Chris paused at the end of his sentence like he was going to say something more as Neil shut the door behind him but when he didn’t continue, the older of the two gestured at his sofa in a silent invitation to sit down. 

“Me too,” Neil sighed, taking off his jacket and neatly placing it on the coat rack - a practice he rarely engaged in but now seemed important in his new acquaintance’s company. “I must admit, though, the intense mix of everything made a lot of what occurred lost on me.” 

“I figured as much,” The other laughed, looking up at Neil, who could now tower over him with their exaggerated height difference, with an air of confidence typically expected of him. “You were bolder than I expected...especially when you snogged me on the dancefloor.”

Neil looked as pale as a ghost as he heard the words fall from Chris’ mouth, eyes widening while they focused on the evilly smirking man sat on his couch and cheeks betraying him the second day in a row as they rapidly heated up. The panic on his face paralyzed his whole body and his mind went completely blank as he thought of an appropriate response to a claim like that. He didn’t necessarily put the action past himself considering how inebriated he was then, but he felt mortified to think he had done something so daring and now had absolutely no recollection of it.

“I’m just taking the piss, mate,” Chris interrupted with a sinful laugh before Neil had the chance to completely lose his mind. “You know, you said you weren’t uptight but you seem to have a hard time taking a joke around me.”

“I’ve only known you a day and you’re already driving me up the wall,” Neil groaned as he set down his walkman and shared a laugh with the younger man. “And the worst part is that I don’t really mind.”

“You shouldn’t have told me that, it’ll only encourage me,” Chris grinned, leaning back against the couch cushion with his hands still buried in his large coat pockets. “So what’re you listening to?  [ Kajagoogoo? ](https://weheartit.com/entry/324927150) Pink Floyd? Queen?”

“Roxy Music, actually,” Neil smiled back, amused by Chris’ assumptions. “Just because I picked up a copy of Smash Hits doesn’t mean I only listen to them.”

“Never heard of ‘em...I’m more into dance music anyways.”

“I assume that’s why you were buying a synthesizer,” Neil quipped as he switched on the small radio in the corner to avoid any uncomfortable silences that could arise. He hesitated before sitting down next to Chris on the cramped sofa, sitting as close to the arm as he could in an attempt to hide the already blatant effect the other man had on him each time they were near. 

“Well, I was trying to but something more important came up,” Chris quietly responded with a half-smile, turning his head to find Neil already blushing back at him. They were both certain their hearts would beat out of their chests as Chris gently knocked Neil’s knee with his own, anxiously unaware that their separate emotions were anything but one-sided. “I’m no songwriter but there’s just so much you can do with synths. Don’t expect me to play something for you, though, I’m still a rookie and my only true music experience is with trombone.”

“Trombone?” Neil questioned, giggling when Chris dropped his jaw in offense. “Sorry, that’s just...not a typical backstory I hear.”

“Laugh all you want now, but you’ve never heard anyone play ‘Hello Dolly’ like I can.”

“I suppose I can’t be one to judge, I was in a folk group back in secondary school,” Neil revealed with a shake of his head, reminiscing on his first attempt to make a breakthrough in the industry.

_ “Back  _ in secondary school? That makes you sound like a bloody grandfather and I’d have to guess you’re not much older than me, right? Are you in uni?”

“I, uh, I-I was until I graduated about six years ago,” Neil stuttered, looking down and biting his lip to avoid Chris’ reaction to their slight age gap. 

“Oh.”

_ “Oh?” _

“It wasn’t a bad ‘oh’!” Chris defended, smiling at the way Neil hung his head in shame and let out a breathy laugh. “You just look pretty young...but don’t worry, I like ‘em older anyways. You still into performing, then?”

It amazed Neil how smoothly Chris slid in little comments that threw him for a loop so easily while he struggled even not to trip over his own words, wiping his palms on his trousers before responding and praying their sober conversation wouldn’t have the younger man skipping town once he left. 

“Not at the moment, I’m actually currently an editor at ITV books with a degree in history...makes sense, right?”

There was a great sense of pride Neil felt to hear Chris laugh at his joke, relishing in the way their dialogue seemed to smooth out as they began to get comfortable around each other. Time seemed to fly by while they continued talking, speaking as if they were old friends catching up instead of practical strangers - a dynamic neither of them had experienced before but something they both greatly appreciated to calm their nerves. They hadn’t realised they had been talking for hours until the small clock on the wall chimed ten times and the disc jockey had signed off to leave dead air that resembled the pair’s early-on pauses fueled by unprecedented hesitation to reveal too much of themselves to each other. 

“I didn’t mean to keep you up so late, you could’ve kicked me out sooner,” Chris teased, standing up to stretch before getting distracted by the pile of magazines on the coffee table. “My lord, how many weekends have you spent at the music shop to gather a collection like this?”

“It’s good to be informed on what’s popular if I’m ever gonna make it,” Neil opposed while getting up to copy the other man’s stature, picking up the Smash Hits he had bought the night before and holding it out. “Maybe you should try it.”

“Maybe I will,” Chris said back with a sassy tilt of his head, snatching the magazine and rolling it up to put in his pocket like the first time he’d seen Neil with it. “Then I’ll have to come back and tell you what I learned.”

“In that case, we’ll have to exchange numbers...unless you’d prefer to stand outside and guess when I’ll be home,” Neil quipped with his built-up confidence, heated cheeks still betraying his inner thoughts when the face opposite his broke out in another wide grin. They both jittered with anticipation as they tore one of the spare pieces of paper from Neil’s coat in half and scribbled out the digits, both too involved in their own worries to notice the other was acting the same way. 

They exchanged superficial goodbyes that covered up how they wished to keep talking the entire night, self-consciously assuming bringing up so would not be appreciated, shaking hands as Neil walked the other man to the door. Their hands stayed clasped together much longer than a typical farewell gesture allowed and Neil knew there was something to the way Chris looked at him, already ready to abandon his inhibitions that Chris’ intentions were purely friendly, but figured it was too soon to latch on to any conclusions. 

Just as Neil was about to close the door after the younger man had started to walk away, Chris turned around to add a final line to their second night together. 

“By the way, don’t expect me to call first...I’m more of the shy type.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might have bended timelines to make a Bandersnatch reference but it's worth it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so excited for this chapter and I adored writing it, so I hope it's just as great for you all to read! 
> 
> I can't thank you all enough for the reads and kudos, it really means a lot :)

_“Nothing?”_

“Cross my heart...nothing.”

Nelson sighed as he saw the disappointed look in Neil’s eyes, resting his head in his hands while his elbows sat against the thick glass of the counter and he contemplated what to say to his friend. 

“A whole week and absolutely nothing else happened,” Neil continued, tapping his fingers against the same counter and choosing to stare out of the window in lieu of receiving another sympathetic look from Nelson. 

The silence between the pair wasn’t completely unwelcomed, neither of them keen on digging too much deeper into the conversation with the pet shop manager lurking a few steps away from them. It also gave Neil time to overthink about everything that had happened between Chris and him, toying around with the idea that this was all some elaborate dream destined to end any second now. The idea gave way to a set of lyrics that scratched at his brain and begged him to write down, pulling one of the crumpled papers from his pocket along with the barely existing stub of a pencil previously shoved in the small space for moments exactly like this.

_Turn in my sleep, a bad dream is over_

_Think of you and shall I ever recover?_

Before he had a chance to hide the words from prying eyes, Nelson had snatched up the piece of paper and turned his back to Neil in preparation of the physical protest he knew was to come. 

“That’s private, you know,” Neil whispered, trying to reach over his friend’s shoulder and unsuccessfully evading his quick maneuvers.

“Private would be you shagging someone, which I’ve unfortunately already walked in on before...so what’s the big deal?” Nelson shot back without any hesitation, smirking at the scribbled words he hastily read.

“You agreed we’d never mention that again!” Neil whined under his breath, narrowing his eyes at the other man once he finally turned around again and relinquished his grip on the tiny piece of paper. “I would’ve showed you if you’d asked politely.”

“Neil, darling, I’ve been around you long enough to know what’s going on,” Nelson drawled, returning his head into his hands and evilly smiling at the other man. “Reading your little smatterings of lyrics only confirms it.”

“What are you on about?” Neil asked back, eyebrow cocked in confusion as his pulse slightly quickened to imagine what Nelson was hinting at. 

“Did you reach out to Chris at all this week?”

“I-I tried a few times,” Neil timidly replied, faintly blushing as he thought back on his failed attempts to gather the courage to pick up the phone. 

_The cool air flowing through the window reminded Neil of the morning after he had spent the night at the club with Chris as his leg noisily bounced on the squeaky floorboards of his living room and he stared down the phone on the nightstand. It was already the middle of the week and he knew it would be a fair excuse to blame his hesitance on the stress and time-consuming nature of his work, but such a lie wouldn’t absolve his own conscience of the real reason he hadn’t accomplished the simple task of phoning a new friend._

_“I’m just phoning a new friend,” Neil repeated to himself, picking up the scrap of magazine paper Chris had written his number on with shaky hands. “Nothing I can’t do, I’m just phoning a new friend.”_

_He had a difficult time steadying his fingers as he punched in the digits, sweating under the heat of the lamp on his end table that contrasted against the dark shadows cast by the absence of any daylight as the day drew near to its end. The buzzing of the cicadas outside provided a familiar background noise as he hesitated over the last number, sighing at his own defeat as he dropped the phone back onto its receiver and rested his chin in his hand._

_Neil slightly jumped when the phone suddenly came to life with its shrill ring that he wasn’t used to hearing so late in the night, dropping his inhibitions to pick it up with the assumption that it was probably Nelson calling with some piece of gossip that just couldn’t wait until the next morning._

_“Hello?” He asked, confused to hear silence on the other end of the line and repeating his greeting a few times before hanging up. He thought nothing of the strange occurrence in favor of worrying over his failure to phone Chris, standing up and pacing the room a couple of times before deciding to retire to bed without doing so for the third night in a row._

_“I still can’t do it...and I’m bloody going mad talking to myself now,” Neil murmured as he turned off the light and shut his window. “Maybe tomorrow.”_

“And why couldn’t you follow through?” Nelson continued, arching his eyebrows while his smile turned into a knowing smirk.

“I don’t know,” Neil immediately defended, looking away from Nelson’s piercing gaze to avoid what he knew was happening.

“Oh come on,” Nelson pushed, leaning forward on his elbows with the widest grin Neil had ever seen and forcing them to lock eyes again.

“Please don’t make me say it.”

“Neil...why were you too nervous to phone Chris?”

After a long pause, Neil let out a long sigh and shook his head at the sight of his friend ready to jump out of his skin as waited for the answer.

“...I think I have feelings for him.”

“Think?!” Nelson repeated much too loudly, catching the attention of the few customers scattered about the store and earning a light shove from Neil. “My dear, you’re head over heels in love!”

“I don’t love him,” Neil hissed under his breath, holding back a laugh at Nelson’s blatant giddiness that had attracted the disapproving attention of his boss. “I’ve hardly known him a week!”

“You are the biggest hopeless romantic I’ve ever met! Deny it all you want but I can tell you’re completely smitten! Oh this is grand, you’ve needed this for quite a while.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Neil asked with a scoff, blowing over the truth that he had experienced a whirlwind of relationships that always brought extreme highs and lows and continuously left him on the hunt for a fairytale ending. 

“Well all your lyrics have been quite depressing lately...but look at them now, all lovey-dovey.”

“You’re the worst, did you know that?”

“Just wait for my next move,” Nelson drawled, crossing his arms and tapping his chin as he contemplated whatever devilish plan he had in store.

“Oh no, what are you-”

Neil didn’t have a chance to finish his sentence before Nelson dashed to the wall behind the counter and picked up the phone, turning to his boss and claiming there was a personal emergency that he needed to sort out - a lie the old owner brushed off as he mumbled something out the bill coming out of Nelson’s paycheck. It was easy to recognize the pattern of numbers he dialed since Neil had been trying to do the same all week and the realization of what was happening came too late for the latter to stop his friend’s antics.

“Chris? Hey, it’s Nelson...how’s it going?”

“I’m leaving,” Neil mouthed, putting his hands up and starting to back away from the counter. 

“Oh, you’ll want to stay and hear this,” Nelson whispered after putting his hand over the speaker and missing what the man on the other end of the line had to say, more interested in where he was going to turn their conversation. “Any luck on progressing things with Neil this week?” He continued into the phone, smiling when Neil paused to glare at him. “No, oh what a shame! Funny thing is, I’ve got him right here and he’s absolutely _dying_ to see you again.”

“What are you doing?” Neil gritted through his teeth with his eyes opened as wide as possible. 

“You’d also love to see him again? How perfect!”

“I really hate you right now.”

“Are you free to stop by his flat this afternoon?...Yes? Wonderful, he’ll see you there...You must have lost a plot, I can’t tell him that!...Of course I’m not lying, here Neil, say something.”

Neil stuttered as Nelson held the phone out to him, seemingly frozen with fear despite the million reactions running through his head and ready to run off to another country to save himself from the embarrassment.

“Cat’s got his tongue at the moment, but I promise he’s here...well you can ask him later today, now can’t you?...Alright but you better show up or you’ll be subject to my verbal torment twenty-four seven for the rest of your days.”

“Nelson…” Neil whispered as he leant against the counter again, staring down at the glass and shaking his head in disbelief. 

“You’re welcome,” The man in question answered, laughing when Neil gave him another less-than-friendly shove on the arm. “What? You two hesitant lovebirds can’t get anything done yourselves so I had to step in!”

“There’s no way he even likes me in that way.”

“I won’t get too in the middle of things but don’t be so harsh on yourself, Neil. If you’d stop looking down, you might be able to find your Prince Charming already right in front of you.”

“You’re impossibly sappy,” Neil laughed, putting his hands over his cheeks to cover the blush that hadn’t budged from staining his skin. 

“And you’re impossibly blind when it comes to relationships.”

With that, Neil set on his way home on another sunny Sunday evening in the same manner he always did. He looked over the lyrics he had written around Nelson, smiling to himself at the words before flipping the paper over to add something much more sentimental that he wasn’t sure he’d ever actually put in a song.

_Turning in my sleep, you called me a fool_

_To fall in love, is it so uncool?_

It was similar to other situations he had put himself in before, falling hard for someone he had known for a relatively short period of time and riding on that high until it inevitably came crashing down to give him perfect material for writing about his woes. This time seemed different, though - Neil didn’t know why, but there was something about Chris that begged him to slow down and not put himself on the line so quickly, and contradicted with his impulse to give into the vague flirtations that the younger man tortured him with.

He repeated his same walk from the week before after he departed from the bus, his step quicker now fueled by the nervous excitement of wondering if Chris would actually take up Nelson on his impromptu invitation. The absence of his walkman let him stew in his own thoughts as he often did, however for the first time a while, he wasn’t plagued by an overwhelming sense of anxiety about anything. Instead, he indulged himself into believing just the slightest bit that there was actually a decent connection between Chris and himself, and their odd attraction wouldn’t have to end up as another depressing note in his pocket.

Almost as if on queue, Neil rounded the corner and saw Chris leant against the fence with his back turned to him as he had stood the last time they met. 

“This feels like a major case of déja vu,” Neil said as he walked past the younger man to turn on his heel with a small grin.

“Are you sure it’s not fate?” Chris joked with his own smile, making no attempt to hide the way his eyes scanned over Neil’s lanky form. 

“If fate went by the name of Nelson,” Neil sighed, still feeling a gush of pride to share a laugh with Chris and praying the blush painting his cheeks much too often lately would give him a break.

“So you really were there.”

“They say the devil works hard...but I’m pretty sure Nelson works harder,” Neil answered with a nod. “You can come inside again, if you’d like.”

Chris nodded at the invitation and followed Neil as the older man dug his hand into his pocket to fish for his keys, unaware of the couple scraps of paper that fluttered down behind him as he did. 

“Hey, you dropped these,” Chris muttered as he bent down to the lyrics and missed the spooked look in Neil’s eyes.

For the second time that day, Neil was too slow to prevent prying eyes from reading his work, chewing on his lip as he worried about which ones Chris was currently reading.

“Are these lyrics?” Chris asked while he slowly turned the paper over and looked up at Neil, the uncommon vulnerableness in his gaze shining through. 

“I-I suppose so...it’s just ideas I write down I guess,” Neil answered, unsure if Chris was about to be impressed or make fun of him for whatever dramatics he had read.

“That’s cool...I like making melodies, maybe we could write something together.”

“You’d want to?” Neil questioned as Chris handed him back the papers and certainly saw his shaky hands, turning to unlock his door to avoid letting the other man see the nervousness in his face. “I’ve got a keyboard if you’ve got some time tonight.”

“I’d love to try,” Chris smiled as Neil ushered him in, taking a seat on the small sofa exactly as he had a week ago. “You’re not home much, are you?”

“Well I’m usually at work and then I come home and go to bed...why?”

“Nothing’s changed on your coffee table.”

Neil turned around as he hung up his coat, failing to suppress a smile at the assured look on Chris’ face from his astute observation. He pushed away his nerves that hadn’t calmed since their first night together to sit on the other tiny cushion next to Chris and pulled the cheap keyboard from under his couch, pushing away some of the clutter and untouched pile of magazines to the side to set the machine in front of them. 

“So, what’ve you got?” Neil asked, turning his head towards Chris and appreciating the fact that he was sitting down when he found that their faces were so close together.

“You can’t put me on the spot like that!” Chris answered with a small smile to show he didn’t actually take offense to the situation. “Let me see some of your lyrics again, it’ll give me some inspiration.”

Neil rummaged through the sheets of paper scattered across the table, picking up one that didn’t serve to give away his heartache too much and handed it over. “I can’t guarantee they’ll be of any use but try your best.”

“I can make it work,” Chris muttered, looking over the faded words and setting the sheet down to fiddle with the settings on the keyboard before playing a few chords. “I think they heard a rumour,” He continued to whisper to himself before moving his fingers to try something else. “Or someone tipped them off…”

Neil watched in amazement as Chris messed around with different sounds and spacings of the notes as he hummed the words to himself, broken from his slight trance when the younger man sat up after a few minutes to shrug his shoulders at his work. 

“How do you do that?” Neil asked, brow furrowed in confusion at Chris’ apparent dissatisfaction with what he had accomplished. “How do you just see the words and come up with stuff like that?”

“Dunno really,” Chris answered honestly, trying not to blush himself at the awe written all over the other man’s face. “I know piano pretty well so I just try out stuff until I think it sounds right, I suppose.”

“It’s incredible, truly,” Neil continued with a timid smile. “I can play a few chords here and there but I have a lot more practice to go to be any good.”

“It’s easy once you hear it, let me show you.”

Neil had no time to protest before Chris was gently grabbing his wrists and placing his fingers on the shiny keys. He willed the shaking in his hands to go away as Chris positioned him to play the chords he had just heard a few minutes ago, wondering if their close proximity was necessary while also pleading to the universe that it would never end. No words were said between them as Chris continued to move Neil’s fingers across the keys, the melodious electronic notes filling the space as they sat together with bated breath. 

Neil felt slightly disappointed when Chris pulled his own hands away, worrying his lip between his teeth again when neither of them bothered to sit up from their hunched position but turned their heads to lock eyes nonetheless.

“I’m sorry I never phoned,” Neil blurted out. “I tried every night...but I was too scared to actually do it.”

“Me too, I was just as scared,” Chris replied as his eyes skittishly searched Neil’s face. “But not as scared as I am now.”

“Why are you-”

Neil’s sentence was cut off by Chris’ lips pressing against his, his body tensing at the sudden contact and mind short-circuiting trying to process what was currently happening. He hardly had time to close his eyes before he was kissing him back and while the moment only lasted for a few seconds in reality, it felt like an apprehensive lifetime of trying to figure out if the other was also enjoying it. They only parted when Neil pulled back with a sharp intake of breath at the feeling of Chris’ hand settling on his knee. 

They stared at each other for a few seconds as they tried to quietly catch their breath, eyes searching for signs of any response - their worry growing when neither of them gave anything up. 

“Please say something,” Chris said in such a quiet voice that Neil wasn’t sure he had heard correctly. The latter looked to the ground as he thought of a response, heart dropping when he looked up again to see something akin to letdown in Chris’ eyes and responding with the first thing that came to his mind.

“Will you kiss me again before I say something stupid?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God, I love writing Nelson's parts.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unfortunately a bit of a short one, but I still think it's pretty cute nonetheless. And I couldn't not include a little bit of Nelson ;)
> 
> Also, I recently watched the Performance tour and I was surely not expecting to see Chris dancing in his underwear...it was really something else I must say. Although, that was strangely one of the tamest parts...
> 
> Lastly, my sister requested that I describe in tremendous detail the outfits Nelson should be wearing and while he is not physically in this chapter, I have included right at the beginning a lovely picture of the man he is based off of for anyone's viewing pleasure. (So, Rachael, you better be reading this and appreciate this addition to the madness.)

_This can’t be real, this is most certainly some awful trick my brain is playing on me. Has Chris turned me back into some giddy schoolboy with just one little kiss, trembling with the trepidation of such an act that carries its religious consequences hidden behind the thrilling enticement?_

_I suppose I knew deep down there was something between us, but I’d never imagined him taking the initiative like this. Surely this is just a one-time thing he just needed to get out of his system...yeah, maybe I was just leading him on and it’s nothing deep. I can’t get too ahead of myself in matters like this, it’s just a simple kiss between two friends._

“Neil?” 

The man in question snapped his attention back to the situation upon hearing the softly spoken call, blinking a few times to help focus on the flushed face still hovering hardly a few inches away from his own.

“You’re doing it again, aren’t you? That thinking thing,” Chris continued with a quick tug of a smile at his lips, absentmindedly shifting his hand that had worked its way up to lay on the older man’s thigh. 

“You really meant to do that?” Neil whispered, wondering if his pulse would ever slow down in the presence of Chris. 

“I thought I kissed you again so you wouldn’t say anything stupid. Don’t be so daft, of course I meant it...it didn’t happen by accident.”

“I just, I guess I didn’t expect this to happen,” Neil answered with a breathy, nervous laugh that produced another wide grin in the man opposite of him. “I-I didn’t even know you were…"

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” Chris responded as Neil trailed off, technically avoiding any confirmation of the statement in his vague manner. “I usually keep to myself but there’s something about you that never leaves me alone. I ‘aven’t stopped thinking about you since we met.”

Neil wasn’t sure what came over him, but the sincerity in Chris’ voice gave him no choice but to grab the younger man by the front of his shirt and press their lips together again. The latter seemed surprised by the action although it only took him a second to reciprocate the urgency in their movements, gaining back some control in making Neil squirm by pushing his hand towards the inside of his leg. It became clear to the older of the two who would be taking charge in situations like this, if they would even ever happen again Neil added to his thought, and he somewhat loathed the way Chris had the ability to make him give over control so easily. 

Any feelings of hurt pride were pushed to the side when Chris suddenly shifted on the couch to sit in Neil’s lap, his strong legs bracketing the other’s making both of their heads spin at the new contact. Neil was certain his cheeks had never been a brighter shade of pink when Chris’ hands gently cupped them to tilt his head up and stare down into his eyes. They both stayed silent as they searched each other's widened pupils and Neil nervously swallowed, trying not to let his mind wander again and relaxing into the rather intimate hold he found himself in. 

There was no passion lost in the moment when their lips reconnected, Neil gingerly wrapping his hands around Chris’ hips to ground himself when the latter slid one of his hands down to presently rest against the older man’s throat. 

_Okay, definitely not a simple kiss between friends anymore. It’s still too hard to believe it’s real...seems a little too fairytale, doesn’t it? I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of this, if we fell in love it could be like this forever. Oh, I can’t even kid myself with if’s at this point. Maybe I should write that last sentence down, I’m sure I could-_

“Neil, I’m losing you again.”

“W-what? Sorry,” Neil stuttered as Chris slowly ran his thumbs across his cheeks, embarrassed to have forgotten about the man still sitting his lap in favor of overthinking the implications of their situation. 

“You stopped kissing me back, I could tell you were gone again,” Chris answered with a small smile to prove he wasn’t bothered by the interruption. “What do I need to do to keep your attention?”

Before Neil had a chance to answer the question that would’ve been pointless if Chris already knew there was nothing that could shift his focus to anybody else, the latter shifted his hips forward to press their bodies impossibly closer and smirked at the resulting small whine the older man failed to conceal. As much as Neil appreciated Chris’ initiative, he wasn’t going to sit there and take it without a little pushback and with a bold rush of confidence let his hands move in the same manner that had already been done to him to suggestively rest on Chris’ backside. 

“Oh shit, that reminds me,” Chris whispered mainly to himself, relinquishing any grip he had on the other man and feeling a little guilty to see a pang of disappointment in Neil’s face. He reached behind himself to pull a folded up piece of paper from his back pocket, immediately regretting doing so when the other man hesitantly retracted his hands to lay them on the sofa.

“Well you didn’t have to stop that,” He continued, grabbing Neil’s wrists to drag his hands back to their previous position and making them both laugh at his lack of reluctance to voice his wants. The light-hearted mood continued as Chris carefully unfolded the note in his hands, turning it around so Neil had a chance to recognize the scribbled words. “You left my note in that magazine you leant me. Too bold for you to keep lyin’ around?”

“I actually wanted to save it...guess I didn’t leave it in the right place, though,” Neil quietly answered, figuring there was no reason to hold back the truth considering their current position. 

“Sentimental type, I see,” Chris grinned, folding the paper back up with another smirk at the skittish way Neil kept up his futile attempts to hide his shame. “I’ll remember that…’s kinda cute.”

Neil held his breath as Chris slipped the note into his shirt pocket, certain the latter felt his heart fluttering as fast as it ever had when it briefly rested against his chest - not that he hadn’t already accidentally made it obvious how much of an effect their antics had stirred up in him. It wouldn’t be like Chris to not keep Neil on his toes, though, surprising him with another rough kiss that ended with a timid yet daring bite to the older man’s bottom lip.

“Chris,” Neil sighed as he caught his breath and the man in question took the opportunity to duck his head down and mouth across Neil’s neck. The younger of the two prevented Neil from articulating whatever point he was trying to make, rolling his hips again and lingering his hand near Neil’s belt buckle just to make his head spin again. 

_“Chris,”_ Neil repeated heatedly, slipping his hands under his shirt to dig his fingertips into the heated skin just above Chris’ trousers. “As much as I enjoy this, and trust me, I _really_ enjoy this, maybe we shouldn’t go any further than this tonight.”

“Oh...uh, yeah,” Chris answered as he stopped to sit up and look down at his hands. “Sorry if I was too forward with...you know.”

“No need to apologize,” Neil responded in the lightest tone possible, sharing a laugh with the other man when his continued grip on his hips thwarted Chris’ attempt to get up. “I had no problems with any of that. I just don’t wanna move too fast, yeah? Not exactly slow to shag on my couch after a week of knowing each other...and minutes after our first kiss."

“Eh, come on, I would’ve at least suggested we’d go to your bedroom,” Chris joked as his own blush appeared to match the rosy tint of his swollen lips.

There was no time for the moment to turn awkward or morph into another silence since the shrill ringing of the telephone on the end table decided to interrupt, making Neil lean his head back against the cushion in annoyance of whoever needed to talk at the moment. 

“Are you gonna pick that up?” Chris smiled, holding back his own potentially embarrassing sound at the flex on Neil’s fingers against his skin when he feigned getting up again. 

“I’d rather not, I’m not even sure who would be calling me on a Sunday night,” Neil mused, hoping the sound would go away quicker so they could continue their conversation. He sighed when he heard the beep of his answering machine, eyes widening when an all too familiar voice came across the muffled speaker.

_“Neil, you better not be ignoring me! If you’re not picking up because Chris is there and you two have gotten up to Lord knows what-”_

“Nelson!” Chris spoke into the phone with a laugh at the way Neil hid his face in his hands at the never-ending suffering produced by his close friend. “Simmer down! Can’t you ever give us a break?”

_“Of course you know that’s not possible, dear. Good thing you showed up because I was ready to go to yours and give you a piece of my mind. What’s happening? Are you two in love yet?”_

Neil smiled from between his fingers at the way Nelson spoke so loudly that he could hear him from the speaker near Chris’s ear, shaking his head in response to the way the younger man dramatically rolled his eyes as their friend rambled on.

“You’re always so nosy, how about you use your imagination?”

_“Oh, you’re awfully boring.”_

“I’ll get you started, I’m hanging up because we’ve got business to finish,” Chris finished, setting the receiver back on the base and shaking his head at their friend’s interference. “Sometimes I can’t stand him...but that’s one of the things you’ve just gotta love about him.”

“Agreed,” Neil sighed, bringing his hands back down to rest on Chris’ legs again. “So what business were you planning on finishing, exactly?”

“You tell me, you’re the one who won’t let me get off your lap.”

 _“I_ never said there was anything more to come tonight,” Neil quipped, glad his generous tone made the other break another smile onto his rigid features.

“You’re a terrible tease,” Chris defended with a quirked eyebrow at Neil’s newfound confidence. “I see how it is, ‘ve got to do a little bit of wine and dining before you’ll give me a chance. And you’ll string me along the whole way.”

“Can’t blame me for gathering a little personal insurance on these sorts of things,” Neil teased, letting his grip on the other man go and trying not to smile when he remained in his lap.

“That settles it, I’ll have to take you on a proper date as soon as possible, then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I made this book rated teen...but let's face it, my whole presence on this website is built on the back of smut. And I admittedly already started writing some action between Chris and Neil so if anyone out there would want that addition to the work, please let me know! :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ouch, it's been a whole month since I've updated this story! I promise I didn't forget about, I've just been hella busy :( 
> 
> I hope y'all out there are still interested and this is just another little filler chapter before I get to their first date! Please enjoy :)

Neil sighed as he pulled another unsuccessfully finished page from the typewriter, crumpling it up and laughing at the cynical way the trash bounced off the rim with a quiet clink after soaring across the room. It’d be easy to write his frustrations off on the societal expectations of a Monday morning full of work, but anyone who knew him well enough could tell there was something off.

_ Love, as Nelson would call it. But what does he know? _

Neil closed his eyes as he leant back in his chair and fought with his own inner monologue, wishing he could focus just for one minute to get his boss off his back. But any effort was completely worthless, his mind hellbent on thinking of Chris. 

_ Can you blame me? The man was sitting in my lap just twelve hours ago, practically ready to throw himself at me if I didn’t stop him. God, why did I have to say something? It wouldn’t have mattered if I just thought it anyway, he can practically read my mind already.  _

_ Do I admit that he’s more than just another bloke I had the random luck of meeting? Or do I put the walls up around my heart again in case things don’t work out? _

_ I really need to stop meeting him on Sundays...he makes it incredibly hard to focus on my actual work. _

“Neil!”

The man in question immediately jolted up in his seat at the gruffy voice that pulled him back to reality, straightening his tie out of embarrassment while his boss disapprovingly looked him up and down. He knew the slip-up was uncharacteristic of him, typically fitting into the star pupil role in the word of capitalism - something that earned him his own office with a door he wished he’d remembered to close.

“Sorry, I-”

“You’ve got a visitor,” The looming man continued, cutting Neil’s sentence short before he could conjure up a decent explanation to his bout of unproductivity. His crossed arms and the straight line of his mouth told the editor he wasn’t too happy about the upcoming interruption so Neil let him continue after a short pause, hesitant to rock the boat. “I’ll send ‘em in, but you better make it quick. And I expect to see that introduction on my desk by the end of the day.”

“Yessir,” Neil quietly responded with a curt nod, trying not to look down at the blank sheet in front of him. He had no time to ask who the surprise guest was, staying quiet when his boss turned on his heel and brushing the wrinkles out of his dress shirt just in case it was somebody important. 

His stomach dropped as the last person he’d expect appeared in the doorway now, cracking a small smile at the man’s slouched stature. 

“Morning,” Chris spoke in a barely audible voice, tipping his head up just enough to catch Neil’s eyes under the brim of his baseball cap. The clothes shrouding his form were nothing out of the ordinary, a baggy pair of jeans and an oversized sweatshirt despite the heat of the ending summer, but were so characteristic of what Neil found intriguing about him that it made the older man’s brain short circuit on a response nonetheless. “Didn’t mean to interrupt ya for long.”

“Oh, don’t let him scare you,” Neil said with a dismissive wave towards the door directed at his boss, trying not to let it show how much it made his heart swell to put a smile on Chris’ face. “I would ask why you’re here, but first I’m wondering how you know where I work?”

“Who do you think I asked?” Chris shot back, shuffling a few steps into the room and looking around while he waited for Neil to figure out his rhetorical question.

“Y’know, I’m starting to think Nelson’s involvement in all of this is less helpful and more just creepy,” Neil said with a sigh, subconsciously pushing up his glasses that had slid down his nose in the short hours he had spent unsuccessfully writing. 

“I didn’t know you wear glasses,” Chris answered with no regard to the current topic, throwing Neil off and setting off the bright flush that colored his cheeks each time they met. 

“Oh, t-these old things?” Neil stuttered as he thought of a fib, hurriedly pulling them from his face and slipping them into his suit-coat pocket. “I only need them from time to time.”

Chris nodded at the statement, not too worried to press why the matter made the older man so flustered. “So whatcha workin’ on?”

“Same old, same old...know anything about  [ Bullseye ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullseye_\(British_game_show\)) ?” 

“Hmm I’m not much into game shows,” Chris smiled, taking a few more timid steps closer to Neil’s desk to take a peek at the notes strewn about. “I’ve been into watching  [ Happy Days ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Days) lately.”

_ “Happy Days?”  _ Neil repeated, shrugging his shoulders as Chris dropped his jaw in offense. “Just doesn’t seem like your kind of show.”

“I told you there’s a lot you don’t know about me, Neil. Who says a man can’t enjoy the nostalgic feeling of being an American teen in the  [ 50s ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ItSnTgxjY0&feature=emb_logo) ?”

“Chris, were you even born yet in the 50s?” Neil joked, rolling away in his desk chair when one of the stray balled up pieces of paper was thrown his way. 

“I _ was,  _ thank you very much,” The younger of the two defended, taking a seat on the corner of the desk and hiding the nervous shaking of his hands in his pockets once again. 

“Speaking of, don’t you ever have any classes to attend?” Neil asked while pulling up to his desk again, now setting his elbows down with a smokescreen of calmness at the unexpected meeting. 

“Oi, you sound like my mum! University doesn’t start until September...did you forget that in all the long years since you’ve graduated?” 

“Fine, we’re even on the age jokes,” Neil sighed with a grin, happy to find they could riff off of each other with such ease as if they’d been friends for years. 

“Well before I get ya into any trouble, here’s why I really showed up,” Chris continued with his own smile, pulling a tape from his pocket and setting it in front of Neil’s typewriter.

“What’s this?” Neil muttered mainly to himself, picking it up to examine it and furrowing his brows in confusion to find absolutely nothing written on it to indicate its contents. ‘You got me a blank tape? I appreciate it but I’ve got many-”

“It’s not blank, you twit,” Chris interrupted, trying not to giggle on the bright blush painting Neil’s cheeks that always gave his emotions away. “I recorded some more of that song we started last night before...y’know. I don’t have any real equipment, though, so it probably won’t sound too great.”

“I’m sure it’ll be wonderful. I know I only heard you play for so long, but you’ve got some real talent.”

“Ah stop pulling my leg,” Chris quietly spoke, hanging his head to hide his own new blush and putting his hand back in his pocket again.

“Seriously! I can’t wait to hear what you’ve come up with.”

“Well ‘ve just done the keyboards and that sorta lot, you’ve got all the words. You’ll have to sing for me sometime to finish it.”

“Hey, I don’t sing before the first date,” Neil teased, laughing along with Chris at his suddenly quick wit that usually crumbled in the other man’s presence. 

“Are you free this Friday night?” Chris blatantly asked, making Neil’s heart stop for a second as the reality of Chris actually being interested in going out with him sank in.

“I-I, yeah, I am,” Neil stuttered, feeling overwhelmingly flushed as the other man’s elated gaze bore into his. 

“I’ll swing by yours around seven?”

Neil didn’t have time to properly answer, both of them jumping at the loud cough from Neil’s boss who had reappeared in the doorway. Once he knew he had their attention, he made no effort to be subtle by tapping his watch and giving Chris a nasty look before walking away. The younger understood the message and hastily stood up, slouching into his usual posture and turning back to Neil in wait of an answer.

“Seven works great,” Neil smiled, trying to lighten the gloomy mood his boss had cast upon the room and standing up to walk Chris towards the door. “Am I allowed to ask what you have planned?”

“Well sure, but that doesn’t mean I’m gonna tell you,” Chris evilly smiled, quietly laughing at Neil’s responding eye roll. 

“I’ll have to wait then...well I’m glad you stopped by.”

Chris nodded at the vague goodbye, stopping at the door as Neil stood adjacent to him. It was never clear to see what Chris was thinking by the look on his face, but the older felt confident there was something else on his mind. 

“Forget something?” Neil asked, awkwardly chewing on his lip when Chris simply turned towards him and stayed silent. 

“I wish this would stop being so difficult,” Chris sighed before slightly nudging Neil further into the room to hide their view from the door. The movement took Neil by surprise and before he could pipe up to figure out what was going on, the younger of the two had stood on his tiptoes to press a light kiss to the other’s lips. Neither of them had time to process the boldness that had just occurred before Chris had turned on his heel, cheeks reddened by the embarrassing rush of adrenaline coursing through him, and disappeared from the building. 

There wasn’t much time to recoup before one of Neil’s coworkers popped his head in the doorway, his mouth stretched into a wide grin that made Neil come back to reality and walk towards his desk.

“Who was your little visitor, Neil?” 

“Just a friend,” Neil sighed as he situated himself in his chair again, loosening the knot on his tie and busying his hands with any little thing on his desk to avoid looking his coworker in the eye.

“I’ve worked with you for _ months  _ and you’ve never had anyone come see you. Not even your mother.”

“Oh bugger off, will you?” 

“Alright, alright...but if he comes back I’m definitely gonna eavesdrop.”

Neil rolled his eyes at the comment and got back up to make a scene out of shutting his door, cursing the newfound nosiness of everyone in his life. He put his head in his hands once he was back at his desk again, certain it would be an uphill battle to focus on anything except Chris while getting through his workday. He had one idea to alleviate some of the distraction, flattening out another crumpled page and fishing the pencil out his pocket to do what he did best.

_ Every time I see you something happens to me _

_ Like a chain reaction between you and me _

_ My heart starts missing a beat _

Neil stared at the scribbled words for a second before shoving them into his pocket to join the others, wondering if they’d work to whatever Chris had recorded. Right as he started to type a new first sentence to his failing introduction, the booming voice of his boss through the door made his heart stop for an entirely different reason.

“Tennant! You better be working on that assignment or you’ll have a hard time finding another!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I couldn't not include some Happy Days hehe


End file.
